Magazines Weddings

For keeps

This one’s not for the album—it’s for the wall. In addition to her own still-life work, artist Sarah Miller accepts commissions for paintings of couples’ favorite wedding scenes, from candid engagement photos to their first look. It’s a great alternative for folks who want a more artful display of their big day. She paints each […]

Caite Hamilton | December 16, 2021

434 Magazines

What a gift!

Meal-planning, traveling, party outfits—the holidays are stressful enough before you even start thinking about making a listand checking it twice. So if you’re stumped about what to buy your doesn’t-like-golf-or-beer (#holidaycliches) father-in-law or your already-has-everything best friend, we asked some local folks to give us their tried-and-true gift ideas, from home décor to sweet treats, […]

Caite Hamilton | December 16, 2021

434 Magazines

On schedules

Even Laurel Smith admits that having a brand that creates both jewelry and dayplanners is a little disjointed. “I like things to be neat and tidy and make sense,” she says, a sensibility that carries through her line of minimalist bracelets, earrings, and other accessories. But that’s what a planner is for—keeping things tidy. And […]

Caite Hamilton | December 16, 2021

Abode Magazines

Good picks

Onyx Art Deco bookends, a collection of vintage zoology plates, Brighton Pavilion side tables. Thanks to three new vendors on our local home décor scene, we have more options than ever when it comes to redesign. Street wares Like a lot of folks, Maria Gall started rethinking her career during the pandemic. With kids at […]

Caite Hamilton | December 16, 2021

434 Magazines

Living the dream

Don’t call Carrie Waller an influencer. Even though the home blogger has upwards of 55k Instagram followers (@dreamgreendiy), she has a different take. “I don’t love that term,” she says. “It has become kind of the standard for people in my industry, but I feel like it makes us sound very cold. I want people […]

Caite Hamilton | September 30, 2021

434 Magazines

For the win

Matthew Winston was thisclose to shutting down the candle-making business he’d recently started. The VCU grad had a degree in creative advertising, but couldn’t picture himself settling into a 9-5 job, so he turned his hobby into a business: The Win Candle. Hoping to drum up ome extra attention (“I would get a few orders […]

Caite Hamilton | September 30, 2021

434 Magazines

Reading list

Like many people, Samantha Koon Jones found herself with a lot of time on her hands at the start of the pandemic. So she turned to reading.  “I knew a couple of people on Bookstagram—a subgroup of Instagram users who post primarily about books and reading—and I liked the idea of keeping a virtual reading […]

Caite Hamilton | September 30, 2021

Knife & Fork Magazines

From market to Market

Fernando Dizon has been selling Filipino food in Charlottesville since 2012, when he first set up a stand at City Market and called it Little Manila. Two years later, it was clear that people here loved their lumpia—so he and his wife Jessie expanded to a food truck. They knew one day they wanted to […]

Caite Hamilton | September 30, 2021

2021 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

We’re in love

February is the month of love, but forget the cards, flowers, and candy—we want hot chocolate. MarieBette feels that too, with its annual celebration of Hot Chocolate Month: a different flavor each of the month’s 28 days, from cheesecake to chipotle chili. Don’t forget the (housemade!) marshmallow.

Caite Hamilton | August 25, 2021

2021 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

Happiest hour

Strawberry, peach, or classic lime, there’s nothing fancy about the margs at Guadalajara—and that’s what keeps us coming back (well that, and the half-price special on Mondays and Wednesdays). Frozen or on the rocks, we’ll grab the salt-rimmed goblet with both hands and never let go.

Caite Hamilton | August 25, 2021